Budget your beef: Get the most meat for your money

The most expensive staple on each week’s grocery list is protein. So knowing how to make the most of the meat you prepare for daily meals will help you stretch your weekly food budget.

Wynne Everett

The most expensive staple on each week’s grocery list is protein. So knowing how to make the most of the meat you prepare for daily meals will help you stretch your weekly food budget. Follow this shopping and cooking advice from the extension agents at Iowa State University and Clemson University.

1. Look at the price per serving, not the price per pound.

2. Adults need 5 to 6.5 ounces of protein a day, so when you’re shopping, aim for 2- to 3-ounce portions for each person per meal.

3. Ground turkey or ground beef yields four servings to the pound, while spare ribs give you only one-and-a-half servings per pound.

5. Stretch the meat and get the maximum nutritional benefit by serving it in dishes that use beans, rice, pasta or vegetables.

6. A stir-fry recipe will use only half or three-quarters as much meat as meals where it’s a solo entrée. Consider casseroles and other dishes that let you bulk up the meal with less expensive ingredients but still include meat.

7. Find out which day of the week your grocery’s meat department marks down items to help them sell quicker, then can buy them at a discount.

8. Tenderize tougher, less expensive cuts of meat by marinating them or preparing them in a slow cooker. For roasts, try chuck roast or round roast, both of which are cheaper and leaner than sirloin but require a long and low cooking method.

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